DISH Network Corporation (DISH) has chosen AWS as the preferred cloud platform and will build its 5G network on AWS (Amazon Web Services), a division of Amazon.com. As a part of the strategic partnership arrangement, the two firms will collaborate together to transform how businesses and consumers, including AWS and Amazon, order and access 5G services or build their own private 5G networks.

Starting later this year in Las Vegas, DISH will deploy the first standalone, cloud-based 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) in the US. It will link all of its hardware and network management services to the world's most used cloud, allowing for stable, accelerated scaling and creativity as well as on-demand responsiveness to customers' wireless needs.

The Network Corporation will accomplish flexible and cost-effective activities while attempting to redefine the realistic applications of 5G, since this is the first time a 5G network will be run in the cloud. It is working primarily with cloud-native platform providers as it builds its network, putting them together on AWS to give DISH consumers more choice and power of their 5G-enabled solutions.

DISH is making it easier for developers to construct new 5G apps by building its network on Amazon Web Services. Through using simplified application programming interfaces (APIs) to interact with data on DISH network characteristics such as consumer equipment latency, bit rate, level of operation, and equipment location, DISH developers and consumers, as well as the AWS developer community, would be able to build ground-breaking 5G applications across a range of industries.

Developers will then be enabled to use AWS resources and partner expertise in machine learning, analytics, security, and other areas to create responsive applications based on the data. They might, for example, provide low-latency virtual reality gameplay experiences tailored to the user's interface, serve contextual ads, or coordinate the actions of a robot at a disaster location.

DISH would then implement a cloud-native 5G network that includes O-RAN – the antennas and base stations that connect phones and other cellular devices to the network – and the 5G Core – the logical framework that guides traffic movement throughout the network – using AWS's validated technology and breadth of services.

DISH's completely integrated Operation and Business Support Systems (OSS and BSS) will be powered by AWS, allowing the company to provision and manage its customers' 5G workloads while simultaneously monetizing its network.

“Through this collaboration with AWS, we will operate not just as a communications services provider, but as a digital services provider harnessing the combined power of 5G connectivity and the cloud. Together, we will enable our customers to take full advantage of the potential of 5G. Our approach will revolutionize wireless connectivity by giving customers the ability to customize and scale their network experience on-demand. As a new carrier, leveraging AWS and its extensive network of partners enables us to differentiate ourselves by operating our 5G network with a high degree of automation, utilizing the talent of AWS-trained developers and helping our customers bring new 5G applications to market faster than ever before”, said Charlie Ergen, Co-founder & Chairman, DISH.

It can also use AWS to customize output for specific customer use cases on demand, by improving network attributes like transmission speed or network availability through a method known as ‘network slicing’.

For instance, if a company wished to ensure reliable video streaming output for its users, it might request a dedicated network slice dedicated to high-data-rate video sharing.

The platform will use AWS's vast network of telecommunications suppliers, as well as AWS Professional Services, to simplify the rollout of 5G network slices and produce results in weeks rather than months, as is the case for current manual processes. Its 5G network, which runs on AWS, would greatly outperform legacy networks in terms of the speed at which it can handle hardware and software updates.

The network corporation can use AWS Local Zones and AWS Outposts to serve real-time workloads at the network edge and rapidly process inbound and outbound data from its O-RAN infrastructure.

AWS Local Zones are an infrastructure implementation that positions AWS compute, storage, database, and other select facilities near significant community, business, and IT centres for applications needing single-digit millisecond latency, while AWS Outposts expand AWS infrastructure, services, APIs, and tools to almost any on-premises site, such as a factory floor or a 5G base station.

“DISH’s cloud-native and truly virtualized 5G network is a clear example of how AWS customers can use our proven infrastructure and unparalleled portfolio of services to reinvent industries. This collaboration means DISH and its customers can bring new consumer- and enterprise-centric services to the market as quickly as they’re created to deliver on the promise of 5G. Together, we’re opening the door to new technologies that will transform factories, workplaces, entertainment, and transportation in ways people have only dreamed”, said Andy Jassy, CEO, AWS.

DISH will also use AWS' compute, containers, IoT, machine learning, and security capabilities to process 5G data and run its 5G Core, BSS, and OSS at scale while lowering costs.

It can then run compute workloads on AWS Graviton2-based instances (AWS's custom-designed Graviton2 processors with 64-bit Arm Neoverse cores have up to 40 percent better price-performance than comparable current-generation x86-based instances) and Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS), allowing it to provide high availability during peak periods.

Further, the platform will be able to cut expenses even further by using AWS to run its 5G network, as it will avoid the capital expenditures involved with installing and running network service hardware.

Also, it can use AWS machine learning capabilities at the network edge to help boost service by forecasting network congestion at particular sites, detecting deviations in network operation, and taking corrective steps automatically to maximise efficiency.